Press Report 10th April 2023  

Apr 102023
 

SEAA Relay Championships
Stratford
2nd April 2023

Ilford AC saw 23 of their athletes travel to the Olympic Park in Stratford last weekend to compete in the Southern & Eastern Athletic Association (SEAA) relay Championships. It was the first time in the club’s history that they had fielded both a male and female team at the event, quite fitting in the club’s centenary year. Furthermore, it had been twenty years since the club had last fielded a team.

The day commenced with the U15 boys 5K race at 11am. The club had three representatives in the race – Samuel Crane, Aron Berhe and James Thake. This triplet run their socks off with Samuel finishing in 9th place (17.49), Aron in 14th place (18.55) and James in 16th place (19.17) . These tremendous performances were rewarded with a fantastic second place overall, taking the silver medal.   

At 11.30am was the under 17 boys’ 5K race in which Ilford’s Ronan Edwards was competing. Ronan equipped himself well and finished in 18th place out of 29th in a time of 17.23.

Next to start were the senior men at 12.00. This race was to be run over 12 legs which alternated between 4.5 and 3 miles, making 45 miles in total. The team, somewhat depleted due to injury and absences, battled hard in a very tough field. First up was Mungo Prior to run the first 4.5-mile leg, handing over to Jak Wright in 35th place in a time of 23.21. Jak had a great 3-mile leg, clocking 16.26 and handed over to his Dad, Paul Grange, for the longer leg. Paul held the club steady with a 24.25 leg before handing over to Dylan Harrod for the shorter leg which he managed to polish off in 17.44 handing over to the ever-reliable Alex Richards on 39th place for the 4.5-mile leg. Alex had a storming run in 23.24 and managed to claw back some places before handing over to Richard Woolterton in 36th place. Richard competed well in the shorter leg recording 18.39 handing onto the club’s fierce competitor Tom Gardner for the longer leg which he completed in 23.50 before handing to the men’s captain, Danny Holeyman, in 38th place for the shorter leg. The quality of the competition was proving tough and after clocking 18.33 Danny handed to the club’s experienced England runner Paul Holloway who pulled the team back to 39th place over 4.5 miles in 26.05. Next up was club newcomer Berekhet Berakhy over the shorter 3-mile leg which he completed in an impressive 17.42 handing off the club legend “Mighty” Malcolm Muir who despite suffering from a slight injury completed his longer leg in 26.57 before handing to Diarmuid MacDonnell to complete the final 3miles of the 45 mile race. Clocking 19.11, Diaurmuid brought the performance of Ilford to a close in a total time of 4 hours 16 minutes and 21 Seconds to finish is 41st place out of the 60 teams competing.  

At 13.00 the senior women race commenced. Along with the competing men, this saw the course become extremely busy which left the spectators with plenty to watch. The women’s race was to be run over 6 legs with legs 2 and 4 comprising 4.5 miles with the remaining legs 3 miles giving a total of 21 miles. First up was Jordan Hinds who completed the 3-mile leg in 18.42 in 25th place handing over to ex-Olympian Neringa Masilionene for the longer 4.5-mile leg. Neringa had a superb run finishing in 9th position on the leg and handing over to Club V60 icon Breege Nordin in 13th place after 26.27 minutes. Breege battled well over the 3-mile leg clocking 22.07 with the team in 21st place. Next for the longer 4.5-mile leg was Zuzana Sinalova who completed the 3 laps in 30.39 minutes handing over to Pauline Tester for the penultimate leg. Pauline finished the 3 miles in 22.51 handing to the ever-improving Anna Crawley to bring the team home in 26th position overall, out of 38 teams,  after completing her 3 miles in 19.58. The total elapsed time for the ladies’ team was 2 hours 20 minutes and 48 seconds.  

All teams represented the club extremely well and were pleased to have completed in this prestigious event. The standout performance being the under 15 boys team silver medal.

VETS AC 5KM ROAD RACE 
Battersea Park
Tuesday 4 April
The first summer race promoted by Vets AC took place over the usual flat, fast course in Battersea Park on a fine evening. It was a 2 lap 5km event and for Sam Rahman of Ilford AC his last race before next Mondays Boston Marathon.  Sam set off at a good pace towards the front of the 100 strong field and maintained this pace to break his eight year old personal best and dip under 17 minutes for the first time finishing in 16 mins 56 secs . He is good form and hopes to come home in under 2hrs 50 mins in Boston.

London Easter 10k
Regents Park
10th April 2023
On Easter Monday the ‘London Easter 10k’ returned to the beautiful surroundings of Regent’s Park. The course took runners past the boating lake and alongside London Zoo on a 3 lap course.
Ilford AC had one runner competing this year, Billy Green, who was pleased with his time of 54 minutes 31 seconds which placed him 11th in his age category 

  Press Report 4th April 2023  

Apr 042023
 

WORLD MASTERS INDOOR AND NON STADIA CHAMPIONSHIP
Torun, Poland

Further afield Ilford AC endurance coach Rob Sargent has been taking part in the World Masters Indoor and Non Stadia Championships, being held in the indoor arena in Torun, Poland with the road and cross country being staged in the adjoining area.

Robs first race of the tournament was the cross country, which was raced on 2 km loops in the park which featured several stiff climbs per lap. Rob took part in the M65 age category 8km event on a cold afternoon with snow flurries through the race. The course was a tough challenge and Rob finished 28th in 56 mins 36 secs.

The following day, the 10km road race  was held on a bright, sunny but bitterly cold morning on an out and back course on which fast times were possible.
The race started in temperatures of -5C and there was an impressive front running performance from Kenyan Keneth Mburu. He has an impressive record of 9 international marathon wins, including 4 at Toronto, and a personal best of 2hrs 07 mins 36 secs for the distance. Keneth came home in the 10k distance 29 mins 28 secs, to win by almost 2 minutes and take the gold medal in the m45 age group.  Rob,in a field of over 250, came home in 62 mins 32 secs for 17th place in the M65 age category.

 

London Landmarks Half Marathon
2nd April 2023

On Sunday, in perfect running conditions, Alison Sale combined her love of London and Running to take part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon.

Runners started at Pall Mall, headed past Nelsons Column, Royal Courts of Justice and The London Eye. They continued past St Mary-Le-Bow church with the famous Bow Bells chiming before Zig Zagging around St Pauls Cathedral, The Bank of England and the Monument before hitting the most easterly part of the route outside the Tower of London.

The final 3 miles took runners along the Thames before hitting Big Ben and finishing by Downing Street.

Alison was very pleased with her run and finished 43rd in her age group in  time of 1:55:58


St Clare Hospice 10k
Harlow
2nd April 2023

Julia Galea travelled to Hastingwood in Harlow on a pleasant Sunday Morning to contest The Annual St Clare Hospice 10K Road Race.
Over a one lap countryside hilly road course against a field of 349 other runners 

Julia Galea ran a great race to finish in 244th Place in 1 hour, 1 minute and 30 seconds for 17th in The Female Veteran Over 60 Category.

All Finishers received a commemorative medal.

Brighton Marathon
2nd April 2023

Gregory Bond, who recently joined the club, ran in the Brighton Marathon.

The event is a popular event in the Marathon Calendar with a great seafront finish in front of large crowds.
Gregory ran a great race to finish 89th Male on the day in a time of 3 hours, 4 minutes and 25 seconds, a time which proves he is going to be a great addition to the Ilford endurance squad.


 

  Press Report 28th March 2023  

Mar 282023
 

Cross Country finale – Inter Counties and English Schools Champs

Whilst most members’ Cross-Country season finished several weeks ago, Ilford’s rising young middle distance star Joseph Grange has been representing Essex in two prestigious Cross-Country races. 

First up was the Inter Counties held in Loughborough, and to even make the Essex team as a lower age athlete was a tremendous achievement. The race started well, and Joseph established a good pace to follow closely the leading group; after two kilometers, however it proved to be a notch too fast and Joseph was forced to slow down, still completing the race 67th position in a field of nearly 300 runners and only half minute after the fourth Essex scorer was impressive. 

This weekend was the English schools Championships which was held in Nottingham. After an aggressive start pushing the pace with the lead group for over the 1st half of the race Joseph fell off the pace to finish a credible 27th place out of over 300 of the best year 10 and 11 XC athletes in the country.  As a bonus Joseph helped the Essex team to a 3rd place team medal.

Joseph has 2 more years to achieve his dream of a top 10 finish with the prize of England representation and an England vest is achieved.


Orion 15 Miles

Two Ilford runners, Diaurmuid MacDonnell and Danny Holeyman, headed to the hills and mud of Epping Forest on Saturday 25th March for the Legendary Orion 15 mile race. This is a renowned race in the fixture list and famous for being a demanding course with lots of elevation and great stretches of mud as well as uneven trails in the Forest. The persistent rain the day before had left the course sodden and slippery which only made the course even harder although somewhat enjoyable too! Diarmuid MacDonnell had a fantastic race and finished in 2 hours 5 minutes and 6 seconds in 32nd place which put him 3rd in his V50 age category. Danny Holeyman persevered on the challenging terrains and finished in 2 hours 17 minutes and 29 seconds which placed him 62nd out of the 163 finishers on the day.


British Masters Cross Country Championship
Rising Sun Country Park, Wallsend

This year’s British Masters Cross Country Championship took place over an undulating challenging course which was made muddier after the recent snowfall melted in the Rising Sun Country Park, Wallsend, which is landscaped on the site of a former colliery.

Rob Sargent of Ilford AC took part in the M65 age group 2 lap 5.8km event and found the race tough going on the second lap finishing 20th in 41 mins 40 secs.

Fleet Half Marathon

The Fleet Half Marathon always attracts a top quality field, and this year was no exception.
Paul Holloway was Ilford’s sole representative this year and put in a top performance to finish 113th in a field of over 1700 runners in a time of 1 hr 19mins 56 secs. The time secured him 5th place in the V50 category.

  Phyllis Winger RIP Tributes  

Mar 252023
 

From Dave Ainsworth :-
Phyllis was born at Horfield in Bristol on 22nd February 1934 which made her aged 89.

For many years Phyllis resided in Rayburn Road, Hornchurch before moving to Kent. She was a Past President (1974/75), and a former Hon.General Secretary 1997/98 and was a  Life Member.  As Phyllis Perkins she became the Club’s first Olympian when competing in the 800 metres at the 1960 Rome Olympics.  In an event which been restored to the Olympic programme for a first time since the 1928 Amsterdam Games, Phyllis was eliminated in a heat when clocking 2:15.41.  Further major events came her way as in the 1962 European Championships in Belgrade, over the same distance, she failed to make the final by just 1/10th of a second when clocking 2:08.4.  In the same year over 880 yards at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth she was 4th in 2:09.4.   For many years Phyllis headed the Club’s 800 metres rankings with 2:07.3 set on February 29th 1956 in a GB v Hungary Representative Match.  In later years she was well known as an athletics official at many meetings throughout the Southern Area.

From past Ilford AC President (1994/95) Bill Sutherland BEM & Kath Sutherland:-
Sad news indeed! May she Rest in Peace after a very memorable athletic life.

From Ernie Forsyth Ilford AC Past President:-
More sad news on the passing of another Ilford AC legend.

From Roger Mills (fellow Ilford AC Olympian & Club Past President):-
Formidable Club member. Would have been up there with lottery funding, pro contracts. 5,10k no problem. RIP.

From June Cork (City of Southend AC & Past Essex County AA President):-
Another loss of our athletic elite. I am very sorry to learn of the death of Phyllis Winger.  My condolences to her family.

From Peter Matthews.
Editor Athletics International & International Athletics Annual
With Acknowledgement to Peter’s internationals file:-

Phyllis Elsie Maureen GREEN/PERKINS/WINGER (b, 22 Feb 1034 Horfield, Bristol) died on February 22 in Kent. As Phyllis Perkins she competed at 800m in the 1960 Olympic Games (heat), 1962 Europeans (heat) and 1962 Commonwealth Games (4th). At the International Cross-country she was 4th 1956, 6th 1957, 7th 1968. WAAA champion 880y 1956 and 1963 (2nd 1957, 1959-60m 1962, 3rd 1952) , 1 mile 1954-5,  indoor 600y 1962, Won National CC 1951-52 (2md 1956, 1963, 3rd 1968). Southern champion 880y 1959, 1 mile 1952 CC 1951-53.S she set world records at 1500m 4:35.4 (1956), 3000m/2M 10:56.0/11:28.0 (1954) & 10:55.2/11:27.2 (1955), 3x880y 1952. UK records: 3x880y (2) (1952-6), 3x800m (1956); indoor 600y (3) 1:30.0 (1962) to 1:27.1 (1963), 880y 2:16.3 (1962); junior 880y 2:17.8 (1952). Pbs: 200m 25.3 (1959), 400m 55.8 (1960), 600y 1:25.6 (1962), 660y 1:34.2 (1963), 800m 2:07.3 (1956), 1M 4:57.0 (1963), 2M 11:27.2 (1954). Ilford AC. Leading official, President South of England AA 2016-17.

Phyllis also competed at a high level in Cross Country running and was part of the Ilford AC team that won the National Cross Country Championships in 1960 with 4 runners in the first 22.
She is pictured here, on the left, with Muriel Critchley, Pam Jones and Joan Dryden.

  Press Report 20th March 2023  

Mar 202023
 
Chingford League Relays 

The final Chingford League fixture of the season took place at Wanstead flats last weekend.
Unlike the previous fixtures the final event was a 4x 3000m relay race. Ilford AC fielded four teams including one team ( C team) made up entirely of U15 Athletes. 

New Member  Sam Horsley, an under 15, ran a great first Leg for the D team running a time of 11.45 and handing the team over in 7th place. Fabrizio Stefanoni who is returning from injury ran a solid leg for the A team in a time of 12.11 for 13th place. Aaron Hick ran 12.47 for 28th for the C team and Steve Crane 13.23 for 34th for the B team. 

Wayne Hick was expecting an easy run round in mid field for the D team, but with Sam’s great run he was much higher up the field than expected.  Wayne completed his leg in 14.49, with the team now in 26th place. Ronan Edwards was Ilford’s fastest runner of the day clocking 11.18 to move the A team up to 6th place. Samuel Crane also had a great leg clocking 11.35, and moving the C team up to 11th. Neil Crisp ran the second leg for the B team clocking a time of 13.36 to improve to 27th place. 

Leg 3 saw Seb Parris run 13.02 for the A team who were now in 10th place.  James Thake for the C team ran 12.42 to close in on the A team. Danny Holeyman, also returning from injury, moved the C team up to 24th place with a time of 13.36. Jim Tilbrook ran a solid 17.47 for the D team, but unfortunately there was no 4th leg runner to complete Team D. 

The final leg was a family affair with father and son Berekhat Berakhy and Aron Berhe running for the A and C teams. On this occasion Berekhat won the honours and kept the A team ahead of the C team with a time of 12.31 for 10th place, with Aron running 12.55 to bring the C team home 12th. Andy Catton anchored the B team home to 29th with a time of 15.23 

Although unable to run due to injury, special mention to Ryder Islam who won the U15 category for overall points for the season.